Pop Culture

The FBI says it has recovered a pair of ruby slippers worn in The Wizard of Oz that were stolen from a Minnesota museum in 2005. One of several pairs of slippers worn by Judy Garland in the movie are seen here in 1996.

National

FBI Says It Has Recovered Stolen Ruby Slippers, Missing For 13 Years

1:17pm September 04, 2018

by Laurel Wamsley

The sequined shoes were pilfered from the Judy Garland Museum in 2005. Investigators had pursued a range of leads — including an abandoned Minnesota mine — ever since.

Wendell Pierce and John Krasinski in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan.

Arts

'Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan' Gets An 'A' For Adequacy

5:00am August 31, 2018

by Linda Holmes

There's no reason to watch Amazon's new spy drama, really, but there's nothing particularly wrong with it. Rarely has a show so clearly defined competency and little else.

Adolf Eichmann (Ben Kingsley) models the banality of evil in the historical drama Operation Finale.

Arts

To Catch A Nazi: 'Operation Finale' Is More A Talker Than A Thriller

5:00pm August 30, 2018

by Ella Taylor

Director Chris Weitz seems ill-at-ease with the rhythms of action scenes, but this Hollywood-zed version of history comes to life when it features Oscar Isaac and Ben Kingsley verbally sparring.

Lyon-Hearted: Etienne (Andranic Manet) travels from provincial Lyon to the City of Lights in A Paris Education.

Arts

In 'A Paris Education,' A Film Student Takes Stock Of His Art, And Himself

5:00pm August 30, 2018

by Scott Tobias

A young man in Paris studies film and has a lot of sex and meandering, passionate conversations about the state of cinema in this "honest, reflective, a little pretentious" (and very French) movie.

Wisin y Yandel wave the flag of Puerto Rico during a performance in Central Park on August 13, 2011.

Reggaetón And The Search For Identity After Hurricane María

7:02am August 30, 2018

by Coral Murphy

It's no question that the streaming percentage of songs in Spanish has skyrocketed over the last year. But what does this increase in visibility mean to Puerto Ricans, post-María?

Arts

In The 'Everything Is Alive' Podcast, It's The Guests That Set It Apart

5:23pm August 29, 2018

Everything Is Alive is straightforward interview podcast with one tiny twist: the guests are inanimate objects. NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with the program's host, Ian Chillag.

Queue Listen Now

Indonesian high school student Nuha Itan (L) and a classmate gaze out from the deck of a tin-mining ship in the documentary Inventing Tomorrow.

Arts

Saving The World, One Science Fair At A Time: 'Inventing Tomorrow'

5:00pm August 29, 2018

by Andrew Lapin

This documentary "makes for riveting viewing" as it follows four teams of brilliant young people with ideas for combating environmental threats as they compete in an international science fair.

An impromptu memorial for Aretha Franklin outside New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit — the same church where Franklin's father Rev. C.L. Franklin was a minister and where she began her singing career. Taken Aug. 19, 2018 in Detroit, Michigan.

Mourning From The Ground Up: Aretha's Funeral Is Part Of A Joyful American Tradition

4:40pm August 29, 2018

by Ann Powers

While it's not wrong to observe decorum and sombre reflection in the wake of such a loss, there's no reason that honoring a life as monumental as Aretha's can't be joyful — and yes, entertaining.

(From left) Julia Roberts in Homecoming; Jim Carrey in Kidding; Maya Rudolph in Forever; and Lil Rel Howery in Rel.

Arts

NPR's Fall TV Preview: 20 Shows To Watch Out For

9:50am August 27, 2018

Broadcast, cable and streaming networks have a lot on tap for the remainder of 2018. Our television and pop culture team has assembled a list of the most promising shows coming your way.

Air Guitarists Compete For Fame And Glory At World Championships

3:20pm August 25, 2018

by Sasha Ingber

They (air) plucked, (air) riffed and head banged at The Air Guitar World Championships in Finland on Friday. Nothing would ever be the same again.